A growing hamlet northwest of Woodstock is raising funds to meet the demands of its four-legged citizens. Embro recently discovered that it has nearly as many pups as people, leading to a campaign to create a dog park in a unique spot - behind the left-field wall of a baseball diamond. “The township has been very kind to give us this land, so that has been a big start,” said Debbie Baker, one of the committee members. Plans to create a space for dogs to run freely have been in development for approximately a year. The concept began, as you might expect, when pet owners were tired of driving their pups out of town. “We’ve been taking them to various dog parks, Stratford, St. Marys, and Woodstock,” said Alan Normend, who was joined by his dog, Finn. To prove the park was needed – in such a small community – Baker organized a survey of the pet population. “We have 220 dogs so far that live in the village alone!” she confirmed. “And they’re somewhere in the north of 400 houses, so it’s more than a dog for every second house,” added Normend. With the ‘paws-itive’ results, the committee began to raise the $30,000 needed. With the next fundraiser this weekend, more than one-third of the cash needed is already in the bank. This is not the first time Embro has achieved success with a community project not typical for such a small community. Although the recently constructed splash pad came through at 10 times the price. “It was the best gift we could ever give the kids in town. They love it!” shared Debbie. And now they’re proud the dogs will soon have an area to play – just behind the players on the diamond. Normend agrees that it is likely that some pups will be waiting patiently to catch a home run shot. “It’s possible, it’s possible,” he said through chuckles, adding that the players are also welcome to try to get the ball back, “If they want, but be prepared to be chased!” he cautioned through more laughter.
